Fiery garbage load dumped in Osterville church parking lot

Firefighters contended with a malodorous blaze today after a load of garbage caught fire as it was being transported and, as a safety precaution, dumped in an Osterville church's parking lot.

KAREN JEFFREY

OSTERVILLE - Firefighters contended with a malodorous blaze in the parking lot of a church this morning.

A load of garbage caught fire as it was being transported and as a safety precaution it was dumped at Our Lady of Assumption Church, said Capt. Brady Rogers of the Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire Department.

“The driver of the truck did exactly what he was supposed to do,” said Rogers of the driver from Allied Waste Services, a South Yarmouth-based company. “So did the company. They came with a front-end loader and scrubbed the parking down,” he said.

“They can't be blamed. They did everything they were supposed to do and were very easy to work with,” he said.

Rogers said the driver noticed the refuse in the back of the truck was burning, pulled into the parking lot and dumped the load away from other vehicles and people. The company immediately notified the fire department, he said.

Firefighters, wearing protective gear and masks used foam to quickly extinguish the fire, but stayed on the scene during clean-up.

While pulling refuse apart, firefighters found a propane tank still attached to a grill as well as several aerosol cans, paints and medical waste, Rogers said. Much of it appeared to have been deliberately hidden in other rubbish, he said.

The company said there was about 15 yards of refuse in the back of the truck when the fire broke out, Rogers said. “The truck can carry about 30 yards of trash,” he said.

Firefighters' protective gear was decontaminated and washed after they returned to the fire station.

Fires like the one this morning are not unusual in garbage trucks, according to Rogers.

“Pool chemicals, motor oil, paints - things like that can mix and start a fire. People think they are throwing away small amounts and it doesn't matter, but it does.”

He said most people probably don't realize the danger they cause when disposing of hazardous material, no matter how small the amount.

The town does periodic hazardous waste collection, the most recent one was held last Saturday, Rogers said. The next one will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, Sept. 22 at the Barnstable Transfer Station, 45 Flint Street, Marstons Mills.

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